The 4th Of July was always a big celebration, so big I'm gonna write about it on the 5th.
My Dad, who was born in 1898, partied on the 4th in Delano for beaucoup years. I went to school there. Coming from a long line of hard workers, we make hard partiers. Dad was an old horse trader. We had saddle horses and two old matriarchs. A pair of “standard bred” work horses, retired from the plow, they would be used only to pull a float for parades. Used to the noise and firecrackers, they were old performers. They wore their show harness with the chrome studs, their coats oiled, their hooves shod and painted. Hearing the oohs and ahhs, they loved to show off!
Of all the celebrations, the 4th of July one was the biggest and the best! It began with a huge parade- marching bands, floats with beauty queens, saddle clubs, motorcycle precision riders, hot rods and clowns. From the floats, people threw candy to the kids who'd scramble into the street to retrieve the pogey bait. Some claimed it was better than Halloween. The parade started at the ballpark, ran south up to the railroad tracks then west to the Crow River, and back north to the ballpark where the head met the tail end of this 3 hour parade.
At the municipal park, rides and carnival stands were set up. Thousands of people brought their lawn chairs, coolers, babies and kids from miles around to watch this parade followed by rides in the park and a fireworks display. Hundreds of gallons of beer along with thousands of hot dogs, pronto pups, and the latest cheese curds were consumed. A dance followed featuring polka music for the old folks, rock bands for the kids. If you were a teenager and interested in a girl, or guy, this was the time to make your play.
Anyhoo, when I was in the 8th grade, my last year to ride a horse in the parade, I rode my horse along with the members of the Saddle Club. That year I was on Buddy, a large buckskin (mother was a saddlebred mare, sired by a Quarter Horse). The buckskin Kevin Costner rode in Dances with Wolves was a spittin image of Buddy. A tall, good-lookin', well-trained three-year-old gelding, I was taking care of him until his owner - my friend - gotout of the Navy. With a dark brown roping saddle and matching hackamore, we cut a fine figure of a horse an rider.
Besides Buddy and his mother Pearl, I had a bay mare! A little secret I will share with you- “girls love
horses”. ”Oh, I love your horse, can I ride with you?” Buddy lined em up. I had fun that summer. It was my last year on horseback! I would get in cars and off the horse, and live to regret this! Buddy was sold to a girl in South Dakota. They would compete in barrel racing and cutting contests and Buddy was a frequent winner!... I'm going to Delano. They got the 5th off for the 4th!
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